Chief of Staff

COL Paul Mele

Colonel Mele was commissioned as an Aviation Officer through the ROTC program at The Virginia Military Institute in 1989. Early assignments included service as an Attack Platoon Leader and Operations Officer in the 10th Mountain Division, a 1-6 Cavalry Troop Commander in Korea, the aide-de-camp for the CG of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, and as an Attack Trainer at The National Training Center. Recent service includes S3 (Operations) in the Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), the J5 (Plans) with the Joint Special Operations Command Air Component, Commander 1-1 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (1 ID), G3 (Operations) for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command, and Commander 16th Combat Aviation Brigade (7 ID).

Colonel Mele is a graduate of The Virginia Military Institute and Virginia Tech where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering respectively. He also has masters’ degrees in national security and strategic studies from The Naval War College and The Army War College.

His awards are representative of his years of service and experiences. He’s also earned the Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, and Master Aviator Badge.

COL James Gallivan
1ST Cavalry Division
Chief of Staff for Home Station

Colonel Jay Gallivan was commissioned an Armor Officer upon graduation from Florida State University in 1992.

His initial duty assignment was with the First Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas where he served as a tank platoon leader, scout platoon leader and tank company executive officer. He commanded Headquarters Company of 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry and Delta Company of 1st Battalion, 64th Armor in the 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Following graduate school, he served on the Army Staff as a plans officer in the War Plans Division. With the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, he served as a squadron operations officer in 3d Squadron in Iraq and as the regimental operations officer in Fort Carson, Colorado and Iraq. He served as an interagency and civil support plans officer in USNORTHCOM’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters as well as the deputy executive officer to the Commander NORAD and USNORTHCOM.

Colonel Gallivan commanded the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas and in Iraq. He served as the senior reconnaissance squadron trainer and senior brigade trainer at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. He served as the Chief of Staff with the 1st Armored Division’s CENTCOM Forward-Jordan. Prior to joining the First Cavalry Division, he commanded the 402nd Field Artillery Brigade and the 5th Armored Brigade.

Colonel Gallivan is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College. He also received a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.